By Leslie Wright, BLOGCRITICS.ORG

Published 1:39 pm, Saturday, June 2, 2012

Is it truly possible to write a novel using 149 words or less over an extended period of time? Obviously it can be done, but would it be readable and make sense. Would it flow in such a way as to peak your interest?

Well, if you enjoy high slapstick comedy and a sense of the pun, look no further than Executive Severance by Robert K. Blechman. Writing a novel using twitter seems such a daunting task, and yet Blechman persevered and did it with certain panache.

Take a B-grade movie and add a bit of "Mystery Science Theater" for poking fun and you get a slight definition of how this novel reads. A murder mystery full of oddballs and skullduggery, goofy scenarios, and just a jumble of happenings, the tweets are very readable. At times the writing is a bit incomprehensible due to some of the characterizations of the protagonists, but you find you are soon able to decipher the strange writings.

Almost comic book style you can visualize the characters with the ever present bubble from our days of reading them; the flow is along the same lines. The prose is written in a steady and even pace, with the 149 or less characters needed in order to be tweet-worthy.

If you love fun and comedy as well as slapstick humor, this is an insightful way to get your fix. The story while just a bit absurd is also a mystery, a bit of a thriller, and much, much more. To use such a forum and create a work that reads so well requires both talent and patience; we see that with clarity in this strange and witty whodunit.

If you are a twitter fan you will find much of the novel also twists around some of the issues with tweeting, and you will find some hilarity as well as possible frustration from your own experiences. This is a tickle your funny bone experience. Reading some of the tweets during parties and group events would be a fascinating way to break the ice in a way that would create a buzz. Try it on for size and see what you think. This could become a cult favorite.